The Blood on Your Hands
by lillyankh
Summary: Light knows that there is no such thing as ghosts. There is always a rational explanation for everything. He just can't come up with one for this. Psychological, very dark, horror throughout.
1. Hearing Things

Here is my latest story! Strangely enough, this started out as a silly idea for a fluffy one-shot, but somehow my twisted mind turned it into a dark little number, as I often have a tendency to do. The whole story should pan between 4-8 chapters. I hope you enjoy it.

I've messed with the canon timeline a little, setting this shortly before Misa is captured and Light voluntarily gets himself taken in. Light is still fine-tuning the plan for his memory gambit.

Thanks to **snow-fish** who gave me the first spark of inspiration for this idea.

Just so you know: Ju-on 2 is the Japanese original version of The Grudge 2, and it came out in 2003, so it is the right time. I've never actually seen the Japanese or English versions of those movies – I just picked one with the right release date. I have seen a whole variety of other Japanese horror movies, though, and I took some inspiration from those.

* * *

When he was a child, Light had once spent the night at a friend's house watching horror films that the pair were most certainly too young to be seeing. He had been absolutely terrified, clutching the arms of his chair far too tight every time a ghost or malevolent spirit would appear on the screen. He had been so scared that one of the ghosts would come and kill him that he didn't sleep for four days, causing his parents much concern and very nearly getting him sent to counselling. He calmed down, though, the rational part of him finally convincing him that _there is no such thing as ghosts_ and _nothing will hurt you in your own home_.

He never watched another horror movie again.

-x-

Years later, Light is certain he is no longer scared of ghosts. Not when there are people, _evil_ people, with no undead revenge or ancient curses to explain their wholly abhorrent actions. And when he finds a way to punish such people, he gladly seizes it, becoming like a vengeful spirit himself, taking the lives of those who do not deserve them and using fear of death to stop others from stepping off the path of righteousness.

But when the shinigami appears, all of Light's phobias return, even if only for a second.

_oh god it's here my punishment my death oh god oh god please don't hurt me_

Light manages to compose himself, if a little shakily, and asks the shinigami if he has come to take his soul. He is certain that this is the end for him. He is glad, at least, that he accomplished as much as he has before this point.

The shinigami's answer surprises him.

"I won't do anything to you."

Light stares for a while, struck dumb, as he processes this information. The shinigami will not hurt him, will not seek vengeance upon the human who dares to use his tool. Even better, the Death Note is Light's own property now, his to use as he sees fit. He laughs quietly at his childish fears. The shinigami is no threat, and Light has the greatest weapon of all.

He still jumps, though, whenever he wakes to see Ryuk's leering face hanging over him.

-x-

Matsuda is usually clumsy and a little scatterbrained, but it does not escape the team's notice that he is exceptionally skittish this morning. Light, who is trying to simultaneously convince L of his innocence and conjure a plan to find the man's true name, does not pay very much attention. That is, until Aizawa snaps at Matsuda for jerking away when he tried to hand the younger officer a file.

"Matsuda, seriously, what is your problem?"

Matsuda looks over, seeming to have only just noticed he had scattered papers all over the floor. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Aizawa! I've been a bit edgy all day because I watched the second Ju-on at the cinema last night. It was really scary!"

Aizawa gives Matsuda a condescending look and opens his mouth, probably to make a sarcastic comment, before L cuts him off.

"Was it a good film, Matsuda? I have always had a penchant for the horror genre."

"Oh yes, it was really exciting. I just got a bit scared."

Light turns to the genius detective sat across the room from him. "You _like_ horror films? Really?"

L regards him inquisitively. "Can I presume that Light does not?"

Despite everything he's seen, despite everything he's _done_, Light still cannot suppress a slight shiver at the idea. "Most certainly not. I think they're just an excuse for movie writers to enact needless violence against undeserving innocent people. I mean, even Kira only punishes criminals. Why would anyone want to see good people die for no reason?"

Light doesn't miss the spark of amusement in L's eyes. "Is Light afraid of ghosts?"

Light is glad that he has spent so much time perfecting his outward persona, because it means it is easy for him to chuckle gently at the idea. He is _not_ scared of ghosts, not at all.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ryuzaki. I just don't like horror films, that's all. I can't be scared of something that isn't real."

L leans back, idly tapping a spoon against his lip. "People are quite often scared of things that aren't real, Light. And in a world where a person can kill without ever encountering his victims, who is to say that ghosts do not exist?"

Light frowns, the ever-present shinigami at his shoulder reminding him that there are certainly _some_ creatures that aren't entirely mythological.

The detective continues his postulation. "I would have to say that, were ghosts to exist, Kira would be scared of them. One can only imagine the wrath he has incurred from his actions. It is certain that he would have many vengeful spirits after him."

"Oh, come on!" Light snaps. "Even for you, Ryuzaki, that's ridiculous. Are you saying that my being scared of ghosts makes it more likely that I'm Kira?"

Turning to face him, L raises an eyebrow. "So you _are_ afraid of ghosts, Light?"

Horrified at his inadvertent admission, Light opens his mouth to make a retort but manages only to produce an indignant squeak.

"I'm sorry, Light," L says, not looking in the least bit sorry. "I did not realise you were embarrassed about it. Phobias are nothing to be ashamed of. Nearly all people have at least one."

Light merely glares in response and L turns away, dropping the subject, but Light does not miss corners of the detective's lips twitching up slightly as he resumes typing on his laptop.

-x-

Two weeks later, Light is sat at his desk, thinking. Despite Ryuk's assurances that there are no cameras or other observational equipment in his room, he cannot shake off the feeling that he is being _watched_ somehow, his every move being analysed. Just in case, he takes a few loose pages of the Death Note and tucks them into his bag, planning to go outside and use them when he can be sure nobody will notice.

**scritch scritch scritch**

Light frowns. Was that in the attic?

**scritch scritch**

A rat? He grimaces slightly at the thought. What if it got into the kitchen?

**scritch scritch, scritch scritch, THUNK**

That was most certainly not a rat. Grabbing a torch from his bedside table, Light heads into the hallway and examines the attic hatch. It doesn't look like it's been opened for a while. Still, it is possible that someone had broken in through the window, so Light pulls the ladder down and heads up to investigate. Ryuk floats up after him, his usual manic grin stretched across his face.

It is dusk, and the light coming in from the attic window casts a grey pallor over everything in the room. There is a small pile of boxes in one corner, covered with a sheet, various old toys of Sayu's, and Light's first bike. Light shines the torch over each of these in turn, checking to see if they have been disturbed at all. A kokeshi that Sayu was given a few birthdays ago has fallen over, lying face-down on the floor. Light surmises that this is probably what caused the bang, knocked over by whatever had been scrabbling around up here. He briefly wonders if the Note works on animals, thinking it would be much more effective than rat pellets, but quickly dismisses the notion when he realises how ridiculous that would be. Replacing the wooden doll, Light heads back to the ladder.

The scratching starts again. But this time, it sounds like it is coming from the roof. Ryuk is studying the ceiling, his smile growing even wider.

Light looks up, as if expecting to see the cause of the noise staring back at him.

_Could it be a bird? No, it sounds too big to be a bird._

The more Light listens, the more it sounds like there is some _creature_ on the roof, scrabbling, tearing at the tiles, trying to get in.

Unnerved, Light calls out, "Hello?"

At the sound of his voice, the scratching stops. Light sighs, hoping he scared away whatever it was. But then it starts again, with increasing fervour, and Light swears he actually hears a _snarl_ as the creature tries to get inside.

_It isn't just trying to get inside. It's trying to get to _me.

Not allowing himself to panic, Light slowly heads back down the ladder, trying to make as little noise as possible. He slides the ladder back up and closes the hatch, going back into his room and hastily sitting down as if nothing had happened.

Ryuk bobs back down through the ceiling, somewhat amused. "Hoho, Light, how come you're bein' so twitchy?"

Light turns his fiercest gaze on the shinigami. "I am _not_ twitchy, Ryuk. It's just an animal on the roof. It will probably go away soon."

Ryuk laughs even harder at this. "But Light, it isn't an animal! That's the best part!"

Light does not hear Ryuk's raucous laughter, going cold at the shinigami's words.

_Not an animal? But if it isn't an animal…what is it?_

His mind reels with a thousand unspoken thoughts, tiny voices silently screaming at him, clamouring to escape his subconscious and break out into reality.

And then his mind stops.

He hears it. It sounds close, so close now.

**scritch scritch, scritch scritch…**

* * *

Thoughts are greatly appreciated.


	2. Messages

Chapter two. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter!

* * *

Light cannot sleep. Every time he closes his eyes, he hears that noise, that scratching, like _(the sound of pen on paper)_ something trying to reach him through the walls. He finally snaps, opening his window and leaning out to look at the roof. Ryuk peers out after him, his head sticking through the wall.

"What ya looking for, Light?"

Light barely even glances at the shinigami, instead craning his neck to see as much of the roof as he can. "That scratching… there must be something causing it. If I can see what it is, then I can do something about it."

Ryuk looks, if possible, even more amused. "You can still hear scratching?"

Light turns to stare incredulously at Ryuk. "You mean you _can't_?"

The shinigami chuckles. "Nope. Stopped about an hour ago."

Pulling back in from the window, Light processes this new information. After a brief pause, he laughs quietly to himself. "Outwitting L must be taking more of a toll on me than I'd realised. Look at me, scared of a rat in the attic." He shakes his head at his own foolishness and closes the window, intending to go to bed and forget this madness.

He does not realise that the latch breaks as he does so, nor does he hear the victorious hiss coming from something far larger and more dangerous than a rat.

-x-

Light sighs as he finally arrives home the next evening. L's mind games had been particularly taxing, and Light had wanted to get away and think, but then Misa had insisted that he take her out on a date. The whole process had been thoroughly exhausting. If she didn't have the Eyes, he would have long since disposed of her. He wearily climbs the stairs to his room, trying to formulate the final details of his latest plan. He is considering temporarily relinquishing the Death Note, losing his memories and-

And then he stops.

Something is wrong.

He is certain that nobody has been in his room – none of the traps he set, from the obvious to the undetectable, have been sprung – but that does not change the fact that he somehow feels that his space has been invaded, _violated_ by an intruder. At first, he cannot see anything amiss, and as the Note has been untouched he does not worry. He can hear Ryuk crunching an apple noisily behind him, and when he turns, he sees it.

Pinned to the opposite wall is a china doll, the kind with lacy clothes that young girls sometimes like to play with. Light recalls that Sayu herself had one when she was smaller. But Sayu's doll had most certainly not looked like this.

The doll's white dress is stained blood red in places, and the eyes have been plucked out, leaving empty black holes that seem to stare at Light. As Light goes closer, he sees that the doll's mouth has been chipped away, replaced with a malevolent grin. The nail that holds it to the wall goes straight through the doll's chest, and held in its hand is a tiny china heart.

Suddenly angry, Light tears the doll from the wall. He is sure Ryuk finds his behaviour highly amusing, but he cannot stand to have that _thing_ there, watching him.

Light drops the doll with a cry of shock when he sees the message.

The dress is ripped, exposing the back of the doll. Carved into the china in scratchy katakana are two words.

_**Hello, Kira. **_

Ryuk is laughing uproariously, and he only stops when Light shakily threatens to cut off his supply of apples entirely if he doesn't shut up. Light throws the doll out of his window, expecting it to smash. It does not, and he can see its empty eyes staring up at him, judging him. He closes the blinds, but still he feels that cold gaze on him.

-x-

As Light slowly wakes up the next day, he stays for a few minutes with his eyes closed, composing himself. His sleep had been disturbed with images of laughing dolls holding his own bleeding heart above his head. Taking a few deep breaths to ground himself, Light tells himself that it was all a dream, all of it, even the doll he had found on his wall was just a product of a stressed mind and an overactive imagination, and it was not at all related to the scratching sounds from before, that was just an animal…

Such thoughts are shattered when he opens his eyes.

On the ceiling, directly above his head, is another message.

_**I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE.**_

Light gives a strangled half-shriek and shoots out of bed, his eyes never leaving the scrawled message. Ryuk is watching him, fascinated by this behaviour.

"Did you do this?!" Light demands.

The shinigami claps his hands with glee. "Nope, not me, Light. That's what makes it even more fun!"

Unable to face the shinigami's laughter and those _words_ on his ceiling, Light stumbles out of his room and down the stairs. His father is already at the table, eating breakfast.

"What's wrong, Light? You look very pale. Are you ill?"

Light's mouth opens and closes a few times before he smiles weakly and shakes his head. "I'm fine, I just slept badly." He does not want Soichiro to go into his room, to see his damnation spelt out on the ceiling.

Light sits down and tries to eat the food his mother has laid out for him, but his hands are trembling and his stomach is twisting in knots. Eventually he just leaves it untouched, instead going into the cupboard where all the cleaning equipment is kept.

_I don't know how it got there, but I'll be damned if I don't clean it off._

Muttering a quick explanation about spilling a drink, Light heads up the stairs carrying a sponge and a bucket full of water. He hesitates at the door, his mind already telling him that this must have been a prank, that someone had probably written it there specifically to spook him – but how had they got into his room, and got to the _ceiling_, which would have been _right over his head,_ as he slept?

Light did not want to admit that the rational part of him was starting to be overwhelmed by the little-boy-terrified-in-the-dark part, but with the scratching, the doll from the night before, and now this, he isn't sure any more.

As Light finally pushes open the door, he sees Ryuk, practically doubled over on the floor with laughter. His paranoia forgotten, Light turns angrily on the shinigami _(and how can he be scared of a couple of words on the ceiling when he's got a god of death on his side?)_

"What are you laughing at now?"

Ryuk is so out of breath from his mirth that it takes him a few seconds to reply. "Hohoho, Light, when I dropped the Note in the Human realm, I didn't think I would have _this_ much fun!"

Light's eyes narrow suspiciously. "And by that, you mean what?"

Ryuk points one black claw at the ceiling, slapping his knees with amusement. "Look, look! It's gone!"

Light looks, and it _is_ gone. The message has completely disappeared, no trace of its presence remaining. His heart quickens in panic as he climbs up on his bed, as if a closer examination will provide any clue.

But there is nothing, not even a smudge. It's as if the writing was never there.

-x-

Light is silent on the way to the Investigation HQ. He spends most of the journey trying to rationalise the strange occurrences of the past few days.

_The scratching had to be an animal – I don't care what Ryuk said, that's the only explanation. And the doll is easy. Someone could have broken into my room through the window and put it there. They must have done it whilst my mother was out, or else she would have seen them. And as for the writing, well, it could have been written in something that fades after a certain time. No, because whoever did it couldn't be sure it wouldn't fade before I woke up… maybe they hid in my room and waited until I'd gone out, and then cleaned it off… but then they wouldn't know when I'd come back to see it had gone… And how did they write it up there in the first place without waking me? They must have been very quiet. Or maybe they gassed the room before they came in, so I was definitely asleep… yes, that could work…_

Light doesn't have to be a genius to tell that his reasoning is preposterously weak.

* * *

Reviews are much loved. The next chapter will either be up Friday or Sunday - Saturday is completely full, so it all depends on how quickly I get it done.


	3. Nowhere To Hide

I'm so sorry! I know I promised to get this up by Sunday, but, well... I don't want to make excuses or go into detail, but basically I was really wound up for all of Friday and Saturday, and by Sunday it all caught up with me. But I'm fine now, and I wrote most of this this evening so that I could get it up as soon as possible. I hope you like it.

* * *

By the time he steps inside the foyer of the building, Light is significantly calmer. He is Kira, cleansing the world of criminals with a notebook that can kill; he is not easily spooked by a child's doll and some writing.

He walks into the main room with his father. The lights flicker as they enter, but Light pays little attention. Only L is there, the others having not yet arrived. The detective barely gives them a cursory glance before looking back at the large stack of papers he is examining.

"Good morning. If the two of you don't mind, there are some interesting notes I would like you to look at." He holds out two folders. "I received this information last night."

Light opens the file. The first item is a printout of a report from one of L's many contacts. The title alone makes him go cold.

_Document #3179_

_Re: Disturbed graves_

_Since the last report, further investigations have been conducted to determine that this is an isolated incident occurring only in Japan. Victims of Kira who were buried rather than cremated have had their graves subjected to vandalism. Gravestones have been scratched with a sharp metal object, possibly a crowbar, in a distinct pattern to resemble claw marks. The earth around the graves has also been disturbed. Four particular graves, those of _________________, have holes measuring 10cm in diameter in the earth directly above where the heart would be on the body buried beneath. These holes, likely made with a modified postholer, go all the way down to the coffin. The bodies themselves were undisturbed._

_A more noteworthy fact is that the graves of _________, _______ and ________ were also disturbed. As the deaths of these three at the hands of Kira was a fact that is only known by the most high level of investigators, it may be considered that there is a leak in the system._

_It is as yet undetermined who the perpetrator or perpetrators of this vandalism may be, or whether they are in favour or against Kira._

Light wants to keep rational, wants to cling on to the logical explanation printed on the paper, but he cannot help but think that the report is wrong, that this was not just some act of vandalism. And when he turns the paper over to see a photograph, he wishes that he had eaten that breakfast, because his stomach lurches worryingly and he _knows_.

The photograph is of one of the graves, clearly taken by the agent to show L what he was investigating. Light recognises the name on the stone as one he wrote in the Death Note, but that isn't what catches his attention. There are indeed four long, deep grooves in the stone that resemble scratches, and Light could easily have believed that they were caused by some implement like a crowbar…

…if he couldn't see the real cause in the picture.

There is something lurking behind the gravestone, a creature concealed in the shadows. Two ink-black eyes stare out from a deathly pale face, a red-gash mouth grinning wickedly at him. Its hand – if it could be called a hand, for it looks more like a fusion of metal and bone, wickedly sharp – is curled around the gravestone, clawtips sunk deep into the granite. Light cannot help but remember the scratching noises from before, fearing that _this_ was the true cause.

"Is this a joke?" he cries, ignoring the waver in his voice.

L looks up at him blankly. "I'm sorry? What do you mean, Light?"

"This picture! Did you do this to freak me out?" He thrusts the offending article in the detective's face. L takes it from him, holding it delicately between thumb and forefinger.

"I did not realise Light was 'freaked out' by gravestones," L comments dryly, one eyebrow raised. "Or is it the name? Perhaps you knew the deceased individual?"

Soichiro flips to his own copy of the picture. "I don't recognise the name myself."

Light looks at them both, and then at the picture L is still holding. "You mean you _can't see it_?"

"See what?" the two say in unison.

Ryuk peers over the detective's shoulder. "Dunno if it makes you feel better, but _I _can see it, Light."

L is studying Light carefully. "Is everything alright? You do not look well."

Running a shaky hand through his hair, Light manages a smile. "Sorry. I think the stress of the case is getting to me. I just got a little spooked by the scratch marks." He gives the photo a quick glance to confirm that yes, the creature is still there, and yes, it is still looking at him with those endless black eyes. Soichiro walks around the table to his son, and that is when things start to go wrong.

The lights go out, hurling the trio into total darkness. Light cannot see anything, but he hears L move out of his seat.

"It may be a short. The generators should kick in soon." There is a faint glow of blue light as the detective retrieves his phone from his pocket. "Hello, Watari? What is the situation?"

Light's nerves are on edge. In the darkness, his mind supplies a thousand horrifying images of what could be all around him, waiting to attack when his guard is down. He can hear L speaking on the phone and his father's irritated huffing, but behind all of that is something else, something that sends a bolt of fear down his spine.

**_Kira…_**

**_Kira…_**

**_I can see you, Kira._**

Light holds back a yelp and looks around him, trying to find the source of the voice. He actually screams when the lights come back on, illuminating Ryuk's curious face staring right into his own. Surprised by his cry, L regards him once more.

"Perhaps Light should go home? If you are this tense, you will not be productive today."

Light curses under his breath. Years, _years_ he has spent creating his outer self, acting exactly how he was expected to, behaving like the model citizen, and he loses it in front of the person he most needs to hide from. He smiles, satisfied that he can still at least manage that. "Perhaps you're right, Ryuzaki. But I think I'll be alright in a moment. I may just go outside for some air."

L nods. "You'd better take the stairs. The power may cut out again, and I'm sure Light would not appreciate being stuck in a lift."

Light turns to leave, but not before taking one final glance at the photograph.

The creature is gone.

-x-

As Light walks down the many flights of stairs, he fumes at the cameras he passes. Because the cameras mean that Light cannot respond to Ryuk's taunting.

"Hey, Light, how come you're all scared? You can't be scared of a little ghosty!"

Light says nothing, but his lips tighten and he clenches his fists.

"Hey, did you see that picture? The thing wasn't there any more. Maybe it escaped from the photo! Hoho, that would be fun!"

Light stops, but not because of the shinigami's words. He has reached a window in the stairwell, and leans closer to examine the glass.

Across the pane are four deep claw marks. The glass is cracked in spider web patterns, but has not shattered. Light goes even closer, his breath fogging up the glass as he tries to formulate some explanation for this.

As he does so, the whole pane caves inwards, as if hit with some invisible force.

He flinches back and runs down the remaining stairs, Ryuk's hoarse laughter chasing him all the way.

-x-

Light does not return to work that day. He spends most of the time _(hiding under the blanket)_ on the internet, researching hauntings. Ryuk enjoys this immensely, merrily informing Light that he wouldn't find anything about what was happening to him.

"And what would you know about it?" Light snaps.

Ryuk does not respond, instead taking a victorious bite of his apple and smiling even wider.

-x-

No unexplainable events happen for the rest of the day, giving Light a chance to calm himself down, even to the point where he is sure enough to write more names in the Note. He returns to the Investigation HQ the next morning, confident and smiling.

"I trust that Light is feeling better this morning?" L asks, not looking in the least bit interested.

"Of course, Ryuzaki. I'm fine. I just didn't want to hamper the investigation yesterday, so I stayed at home to recuperate."

The rest does indeed seem to have done Light good, as he is perfectly composed for the whole day, only starting once when Matsuda drags a chair across the room with a scraping sound. The team even make substantial progress, compiling charts of Kira deaths and generally being spun in circles by Light's underhanded scheming.

When the day is finished and everyone goes to leave, L calls Light to hang back. Once the rest of the team has departed, the detective puts down his fork and examines Light with a piercing gaze.

"What did you want, Ryuzaki?"

L blinks, startled out of his stare. "Hmm? Oh yes, Light. I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. Please, sit." Light takes a seat across from the detective. "Now, I need to know if that will happen again. I cannot have one of my best investigators taking time off because of stress. However, I also understand that you would not be able to work efficiently in that state. Therefore, I suggest that if you cannot cope, you must leave the investigation."

Stunned, Light takes a moment to respond. "I don't think that's necessary, Ryuzaki. I am fine. It was just a bad day. Please, I would very much like to stay on the Kira Investigation. Kira is a blight on our society that we have to stop."

Satisfied, L nods to indicate that Light may leave.

Light presses the call button on the lift, thinking as he waits for the doors to open. Was he really losing his grip that badly? He could not afford for L to remove him from the team. Without inner knowledge of the investigation, he would be at a great disadvantage, and could even be caught. He shudders at the thought that some invisible spook might actually destroy his dream. Why was he so scared, anyway? He hadn't actually seen the creature in the flesh, only in a photograph, and that could easily be faked. Nothing had actually happened directly to him.

Well, not yet.

As Light enters the lift, he suddenly gets a horrible premonition that something bad is about to happen, a feeling further exacerbated when Ryuk floats out of the wall and leaves him alone. He tries to open the doors again, but it is too late – the lift has already begun its descent.

Halfway between the fifth and fourth floors, Light's fears are confirmed. The power goes, bringing the lift to a shuddering halt. He presses the Emergency Call button, hoping that Watari is watching on the cameras.

It is L's voice that comes from the speakers.

"_Light? Are you in the lift?"_

"Yes, can you hurry up and get the power going again?"

"_Watari is headed to the basement now to check what is wrong."_ He sighs, the noise crackling over the speakers. _"I was told that the problem had been fixed. My apologies, Light, I did not krkifsssssh…_"

L is cut off with a hiss of static.

"Ryuzaki? L? Are you there?" Light's voice rises with his panic.

"_**I'm here, Kira."**_

A new voice. Light pales as he recognises it from the day before.

"Who-who are you?"

The voice chuckles. _**"I am many things, Kira. For you, I am Vengeance."**_

Regaining a little of his sense, Light retorts, "I don't know what you think you are, but I am most certainly not Kira. How did you get access to the building? Only select members of the Police Force are allowed in here."

"_**I am where I am needed,"**_ the voice answers ambiguously. _**"Kira, Kira, Kira,"**_ it sings. _**"You cannot hide the blood on your hands."**_

Light cannot stop himself from checking his hands are not coated crimson. The voice finds this even more amusing. _**"I will take you, Kira, and I will make you pay for all that you have done."**_

"I haven't done anything! You're just some twisted person who's managed to access the intercom. If you don't mind, please restore the power and let me get on with my life."

The voice falls silent, and Light smiles. He is not so easily bested.

"_**Would you prefer a display of my power?"**_ it speaks, after a pause.

Light falters. He is certain that this _is_ just a twisted hacker screwing with his head, but…

"No, thank you," he responds, far more confident than he feels. "I am not impressed by cheap tricks. Please would you do as I asked, and restore the electricity?"

Silence. Then,

**THUMP**

The whole lift shakes as _something_ lands on top of it. The voice speaks, but now it is not only coming from the speakers but above him, all around him.

"_**I do not listen to murderers, Kira. But I will tell you this. I am ancient, I am everlasting, I am all-knowing. I can find you on the highest mountaintops or at the bottom of the deepest ocean. You have summoned me with your acts, and you will pay for them."**_

The roof of the lift crumples, five claws ripping through the metal. They glisten with blood. Light shrieks and hits the floor.

"_**I am enjoying playing with you, Kira. I will not take you here. No, you shall suffer, suffer for what you have done…"**_

The claws pull away and Light breathes again, his heart hammering in his chest. He tries to grab the handrail and pull himself back up, but his hands are slick with sweat.

Finally, the power comes back on and the lift resumes its descent. Light jumps as the speakers buzz again, but it is L, only L…

"_Light? Light, can you hear me? Please answer immediately."_ L actually sounds _worried._

"Ye-yes, I can hear you."

"_What happened? The emergency cameras cut out."_

"It was nothing, Ryuzaki, nothing. I'm fine, really. I just need to go home now."

"_Very well."_

The lift has reached the ground floor now, and Light manages to stand, leaving the lift as fast as his trembling legs will carry him. As he walks out of the building, he glances back, almost expecting to see the creature standing behind him. Its words echo in his head.

_**You will suffer for what you have done.**_

* * *

A couple of my reviewers last time made guesses as to what is happening, and I'd be intrigued to know what your opinions are. Who or what do you think is haunting him? What do you think it will do?

I'll try to get the next chapter up within a few days.


	4. Blood and Sin

You might have noticed that this story has now jumped to an M. This is because it starts getting a little gory in this chapter. Hopefully you can keep reading, but I understand if not.

There is a line in this chapter from an InnerPartySystem song called "This town, Your grave". I think I should credit IPS for my whole DN repertoire, as I listen to their album non-stop when I'm writing.

To all those who reviewed last chapter: Thank you very much; I was interested to hear your guesses. Perhaps something Ryuk says this chapter will change your minds, or further increase your suspicions. I'm not saying if anyone was right, though!

This section contains my favourite part. Enjoy.

* * *

Light does not think he will ever sleep again, because every time he lies back and lets his eyes drift shut, he sees that clawed hand reaching for him and he jolts back awake. Ryuk's chuckling does not help the matter, either.

He must have dropped off eventually, though, because he opens his eyes and it is early morning, the dim light of sunrise just barely shining through his blinds. Ryuk has disappeared somewhere. Light's head is groggy from the fitful rest, and he brings up a hand to rub his temples.

His hand is coated in something. Something sticky and wet and…red.

Blood. He is covered in blood.

Light reels as the rancid stench hits his nostrils. His hands, his arms, his face, all dripping with blood. Panicking, he searches for a wound, but finds none, confirming what he fears.

This is not his blood.

Retching, he staggers into his bathroom, silently praising his parents for buying a house with en suite. The light flickers a few times as he peels off his sodden pyjamas, throwing them on the floor in disgust. He decides that he will have to burn them, and his sheets; no matter how many times he washes them he can never consider them _clean_ after this. He whimpers as he notices the bloody footprints he has left across the bathroom floor.

_it's fine I'm fine I just have to get clean I just have to get it _off

Not even leaving time for the water to warm up, Light steps straight into the shower and turns it on. He sighs as the liquid hits his back, feeling the blood wash away into the drain. Opening his eyes, he moves to grab the soap.

Stop.

_don't scream don't scream they'll wake up it's ok calm down don't panic…_

It isn't water coming from the showerhead.

It's blood. More blood, raining down on him like judgement, drenching him in sin. Shrieking, he falls backwards out of the cubicle, landing hard on his hip. He stares in horror at the shower, but-

But it's just water. Clear, clean water running in rivulets down the glass. Light checks, and he is still covered in blood. His quaking arms give way underneath him and he falls back, head cracking against the tile. And then he sees it, another message scrawled across the ceiling.

_**Washing your hands in blood won't take away the stains, Kira.**_

The light goes out.

-x-

With L's warning from the night before, Light knows that it would be a bad idea to skip another day of work. After waiting to make sure that the water would not _change_ again, he manages to have a shower, ignoring the rising fear in his gut at what could be happening in the darkness of that windowless room. He finally gets himself clean – although he isn't sure he will ever be clean again, and he can't incinerate _himself_ – and gets dressed, taking comfort in the routine of it all.

Ryuk is waiting in his bedroom, smiling that ridiculous grin, as always.

"Nice shower?" the shinigami asks.

Light just answers with a withering glare as he buttons his shirt collar.

-x-

The lift at the Investigation HQ is out of order; Watari explaining that the cause of the recent power cuts has not yet been discovered. When Light heads up the stairs, he is surprised to notice that the smashed window has been replaced.

"You changed that quickly," he comments to Watari, trying to act as if he isn't terrified that the creature will suddenly appear in the pane.

"I'm sorry?"

"The broken window. You replaced it quickly."

Watari looks confused. "I'm sorry, Light, but you must be mistaken. There haven't been any broken windows. This is bulletproof glass – it would take quite some effort to smash it." The man knocks against the pane to prove his point.

"Oh, yes, of course. I must have been confused," Light laughs, but inside he has gone deathly cold.

Ryuk, who had disappeared again, suddenly shoots into view outside the window, grin wide and eyes bulging. Light jumps back in shock, a cry escaping his lips before he has a chance to suppress it. Watari and his father turn to him, concerned. He smiles nervously, breathing deeply to calm his pounding heart.

"Sorry, I saw a bird fly by the window. Made me jump," he explains, his voice belying none of the fright coursing through his veins.

The men accept his explanation and move on. Light turns and gives his hardest glare to the shinigami, who is now collapsed on the floor in laughter.

"Oh, Light," he gasps, "I can see why she finds it so fun…"

-x-

Finally back home, Light boots up his laptop. He has sent Ryuk away, snapping at the shinigami for finding such amusement in his erratic behaviour. His parents have gone out for a meal, and Sayu is staying at a friend's house. Now, with no unnecessary distractions, he can continue his mission.

He freezes when his computer finishes loading.

The screen is completely black, save for one sentence written in a dark red that seems to ooze off the screen.

_**DO YOU WANT TO SEE HOW YOU DIE, KIRA?**_

"Nice trick, but I'm not impressed," Light mutters, pressing a button to open the command window.

The message disappears and Light smirks slightly. _You have to do better than that to scare me._

A new message appears, each letter forming stroke by stroke, as if someone is painting it onto his screen.

_**VERY WELL.**_

Light's brow furrows. Is his computer being hacked?

He clings onto that thought as an image fades into view, because _it must be fake it has to be fake that can't be me oh god oh god please no_

The image shows Light's broken and blood-soaked body lying crumpled on the floor, and it can't be fake, because it is so unmistakeably _him_ there, _his_ empty face staring out through the screen. No, not staring, because his eyes have been plucked out like ripe berries, the flesh around them viciously mutilated by whatever had assaulted him. His lips have been flayed off to give him a macabre death-grimace. There is a gaping hole in his chest, broken ribs clearly visible through the torn skin and muscle.

Unlike the doll, he is not clutching his heart in his hand. It is in his mouth.

Light dives for the bin, only just making it before he violently throws up. He stays for a long time with his head bowed, taking deep gasps of air like he is drowning. Eventually, he puts one trembling hand on the edge of his desk and pulls himself back up, terrified of what he will see.

The image is still there. Light flinches and his stomach convulses once more, but he keeps himself under control. He presses the laptop's power switch, not wanting to see that _thing_ for a second more.

But nothing happens.

Panicking, Light tries everything to turn the laptop off, but to no avail. He is just getting a screwdriver to literally pry out the battery when the screen goes blank. Light laughs with relief.

"I'm not frightened of a picture."

His words are hollow, however, and he cannot suppress a scream when a new face appears on the screen. The apparition smiles at this. _**"Scared now?"**_ it hisses.

The creature is hidden in shadow, its face blurred, but Light can clearly see two shining black eyes watching him as it brings something up to its mouth. Light can see that it is a heart, and even though he can hear it beating loudly in his chest, he knows that it is _his_ heart the creature holds, his heart that the creature is bringing to its lips and, _oh god_, it is his heart that the creature is _eating_, a flash of too-sharp teeth as it tears at the organ, savouring it, dark blood running down its hands. Light cannot look away, cannot escape the creature's cruel gaze as it licks the blood from its arm.

"_**Tastes like Justice."**_ The creature begins to laugh, and its laugh fills the whole room, reverberating off the walls and echoing in Light's mind. Light jolts back, falling from his chair and whimpering.

"Stop, please, make it stop!"

The creature abruptly falls silent. _**"You want me to stop, Kira?"**_

The one remaining logical part of Light's brain reminds him that this might still be a trick, might still be some kind of trap set up by L, and he cannot help but argue with the creature. "I'm not Kira!"

The creature seems to find his denial hilarious, cackling with glee. It leans closer to the screen, and for one horrifying moment, Light thinks it is going to climb out. But it does not, only moving out of the shadows as it smiles an impossibly wide smile.

_Those teeth_, _so many teeth in one mouth, and I thought Ryuk was bad…_

As if hearing his thoughts, the creature gnashes its needle-sharp teeth together with a horrible metallic sound that makes Light's hair stand on end.

"_**Kira,"**_ the voice speaks, and Light knows it is useless to protest_. __**"If you want me to stop, then you must stop. For I will not rest until I hold Kira's still-beating heart in my hands." **_

The creature gives one last howling laugh, disappearing from the screen, and the laptop dies with a screech. Light remains on the floor, shaking violently and drenched in cold sweat. Cursing loudly, he tries to regain control over himself. His fear quickly gives way to anger, anger at himself for letting this affect him, anger at whoever was_ tormenting_ him, because there must be someone behind this; that was the only explanation.

Using his anger to fuel his strength, he stands and goes to hit the power button on his laptop once more, intending to prove to himself that this was nothing more than a program, something installed on his computer to start on boot-up.

He pauses, then flinches back in disgust.

His laptop is _bleeding._

Dark pools of red are oozing out from the keyboard, pouring over the edge and dripping onto the floor. Light tries to step back, not wanting to get any on himself, but he cannot move with fear, cannot look away as the crimson soaks up his trousers, tainting him. He eventually manages to move, staggering back from the flowing blood, turning to _get out get away run away._

The speakers on his laptop crackle one more time, blood seeping from the edges of the screen.

"_**You cannot hide what you have done, Kira."**_

* * *

Thoughts are loved. We're over the halfway point now! Next chapter will be in a few days.


	5. Control

Fifth chapter here! Before we get on to the fic, I thought you might be interested to hear something that happened to me the other day.

The morning after I posted Chapter 4, I got up and had a shower, as always. Nothing unusual about that. But when I got _out_ of the shower, I noticed something strange.

There was blood on my hands.

No joke. And I had no cuts and there was no other source that it could have come from. It genuinely freaked me out.

In the end, I realised that I had nicked my leg shaving and just hadn't noticed, but it was still somewhat worrying at the time. I thought that maybe there was a real 'Her' out there haunting me, haha!

Anyway, on with the chapter. Oh, and there's a poll on my profile now about what you think is happening. I'm very intrigued to hear your opinions.

* * *

Light is hunched on his bed, trying to avoid the disgusting liquid that has pooled on the floor. He has removed his socks and trousers, scrubbing hard at the skin beneath to try and erase all traces of blood from his body, drawing his own blood in his fervour.

He jumps about six feet in the air when his mobile rings.

The fear does not settle when he realises that the phone is still in his trouser pocket, lying on the floor where he discarded them. He is torn between his terror of going near anything that has been _tainted _and his compulsion to never leave a ringing phone unanswered. Eventually, he leans over the edge of the bed, gingerly retrieving the phone with trembling hands.

When he looks at the screen, his paranoia lurches into overdrive. It is a withheld number.

_If the creature could get to my laptop, how do I know **she** isn't in my phone?_

The phone falls silent, and Light breathes a sigh of relief. But then it starts up again, more insistently, the glowing display flashing its annoyance at being ignored. Light flips it open before he even realises what he's doing.

"Hello?" he asks nervously. _Shit, why can't I stop shaking?_

"_Light? Why did you not answer?"_ It's L.

"Oh, R-ryuzaki, I'm sorry. I just – I was listening to music," Light offers, cringing at his weak excuse.

There is a pause at the other end of the line. _"Is everything alright?"_

Resting his head on his hand, Light takes a deep breath, grounding himself. "Yes, I'm fine, Ryuzaki. What did you want?"

"_I have just received some information pertaining to the case that I would like for you to come in and look at."_

"Right now?"

"_Yes."_

"Can't it wait until morning?"

"_Are you busy at the moment?"_

"Well, not really, but-"

"_Then I see no reason why you cannot come in. Watari will pick you up in ten minutes. Goodbye."_

Light stares at the phone for a few seconds, his fear forgotten. L never ceases to amaze him with his callous attitude to others. Huffing incredulously, Light swings his legs off the bed and goes to stand up.

Only to have his feet come into contact with the congealing blood on the floor.

Shuddering, Light manages to keep in control. He will have to have a shower before he leaves. Perhaps two. Or six. In the family bathroom.

-x-

Light finally enters the Investigation HQ an hour later. Watari was not at all pleased when Light had eventually come out of the house, his hair still damp but immaculately composed. Light had not even checked his room before he left, deciding that it would be much better for his sanity if he just pretended nothing had happened.

L glances up when Light walks in.

"Ah, Light. You are later than I had anticipated. Were you caught in traffic?"

Watari grumbles something incoherent as he heads towards the observation room. Light pays little attention. "I just wanted to have a shower before I left. Now, what was it that you wanted to see me about?"

The detective balances a plate of cake on his knees, leaning forward to take a piece of paper from the desk. "You remember the documents I showed you the other day? The graves that were vandalised?"

Icy fingers trace down Light's spine. Yes, he remembers. "What about it?"

L eats a small forkful of cake, studying Light intently. "There have been some bodysnatchings that are believed to be related."

"Body…snatchings?"

"Yes. A small number of those deceased by Kira's hands in the past two days have been taken from morgues across Japan."

Light sits down on a chair, hard. He knows that it is dangerous to react to L's words, but logical thinking and base emotions are very different things. Fear crawls over his skin like insects, his heart thudding painfully. He wants to curl up in a ball, hide away where nothing can find him, stay in the light, away from the darkness because **she** lives in the darkness and **she** will find him…

He snaps out of it when he realises that L is staring at him, an odd expression on his face. The detective slowly eats another forkful of his cake, his eyes never leaving Light's. "Interesting," he murmurs.

"What is?"

"Your reaction. The information I just gave you was false, a fabrication to test a theory I have. One which you seem to have verified."

Light fumes with indignation. "Are you telling me that you brought me here to test some crackpot theory of yours?!"

"I object to that, Light. My theory is quite sound, as you have just proved."

"Mind enlightening me?" Light spits, his eyes narrow with malice. He does not appreciate being made a fool of, not one bit.

"You have been behaving very oddly of late. First, there was the issue with the photograph, where you appeared to 'see' something in it that neither I nor your father could. You then became very agitated when the power cut. And of course, that episode in the lift…"

"What about it?" Light challenges. He does not like where L is going with this.

"Light, when the power came back on you were cowering on the floor."

"So what's this _theory_ of yours, Ryuzaki?" Light is aware that he is getting angry, too angry, that he should remain calm and deflect L's hypothesis with logic and a quick mind, but too much has happened to him over the past week, and he is beginning to fray at the edges.

"I recalled that you recently mentioned having a fear of ghosts. Since this strange behaviour originated from when you were shown the documents regarding sabotaged graves, a phenomenon that a phasmophobe such as yourself would associate with ghostly behaviour, I have concluded that you are worried that this 'ghost' is after you. I created this information about missing bodies to imply that the ghost was gathering an army, and you did indeed seem very frightened."

"That's just ridiculous, Ryuzaki. Even if I did think these events were caused by a ghost, why would it be after me? There's no reason for me to be scared."

"I believe there is, Light." The detective moves even closer, scrutinising Light with his gaze. "Guilt."

Light pulls back, scoffing. "Guilt? Are you serious?"

"Quite. The likelihood of you being Kira has increased significantly due to your behaviour of late."

"Look, maybe I'm just scared because ghosts freak me out, ok? I don't know how many more times I can tell you, but I am _not _Kira!"

Light regrets the words as soon as he utters them, because at that instant the power fails once more, the darkness rising to swallow him. The blackness surrounding him is almost tangible, and he is sure that **she** is waiting for him in there, the creature, **her** sharp claws gleaming in anticipation of tearing the flesh from his bones.

There is a clunk beside him as L puts his plate on the table, bringing Light back to reality. _It's fine_, he reassures himself. _Nothing can happen if L is here._

"I must say," the detective speaks, his confident voice filling the black void, "that Watari really should do something about this electrical problem. It is somewhat annoy-"

L cuts short as the lights come back on. At first, Light is simply relieved that the dark has retreated, but this feeling quickly disappears when he looks over at L.

The detective is frozen, his eyes wide and mouth half-open. Light sees that L's hands are gripping tightly to the hems of his jeans as he stares unblinkingly at something on the table.

It is an apple. Dark red, so dark it is almost black, and shining in the artificial light.

L is fixated by it, unable to tear his gaze away. He reaches out a hand to take it, moving sluggishly, as though the air was resisting him. His arm is trembling, and Light cannot help but think that the detective is fighting against himself, trying to stop whatever force is compelling him to move.

L's fingers brush the apple and all signs of resistance stop. He picks the fruit up, holding it properly in his hand, this small act alone causing Light's breath to hitch. As L brings the apple to his mouth, Light knows that he should stop him, should wrench the accursed thing from his hand and throw it as far away as physically possible, but he cannot bring himself to even touch the detective for fear of what might happen. Light whimpers as L takes a bite from the apple, too-red juice running down his chin, juice that looks uncomfortably like blood.

Inside, there is not soft green apple, but dark crimson sinew and flesh.

L attacks the fruit, devouring strips of muscle with obvious pleasure. He takes one final bite, closing his eyes with satisfaction, then turns to Light. His chin and shirt are soaked with red, and he clutches the remains of the apple in his hand.

He _smiles_.

Light knows that smile. It may be L in front of him, L's face pulled into those features, but it is **her** watching him, **her** smiling malevolently as Light unconsciously shifts away.

Light knows the words before L even speaks them.

"**Tastes like Justice." **

Light gives a strangled cry and runs out, L's – no, **her** – deranged laughter chasing him all the way from the building. He runs, keeps running, going anywhere and nowhere, fleeing this unseen force. It has started to rain, and he slips over, landing painfully on the concrete. He breaks down on his hands and knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

_have to run have to hide stay in the light keep out of the dark have to go where __**she**__ can't find me_

_Of course! Misa!_

He scrabbles for his phone, shakily dialling Misa's number. Her house will be safe, **she** can't find him there, Rem always protects Misa so Light will be safe…

"Come on, come on, pick up!" Light whispers, his heart hammering louder than the dial tone.

"_Hi, this is Misa-Misa! I'm at a shoot right now, so leave a message! And if this is Light, remember that your Misa-Misa loves you!"_

Light throws his phone on the ground in disgust. He is cold, wet and terrified, and he has nowhere safe to go.

His phone rings and Light quickly answers it, not even looking at the caller ID.

"Misa?"

"_I think not, Light."_

It's L. But is it _really_ L? Or is **she **still in control?

"Wh-what do you want?" Light asks, his voice rising with fear.

"_I demand to know why you left in the middle of our discussion."_

"Wait, what?"

"_This is unacceptable, Light. I must say, this action has further heightened your Kira percentage."_

"But I didn't…you don't remember?"

"_I do not know what you are talking about. I was explaining my hypothesis to you and you escaped from the building when the power went down. I insist you come back to the headquarters immediately so that we can discuss this."_

Light is torn. He does not want to set foot in that place, not whilst **she** might still be there, but neither does he want to give L any more reason to suspect him.

"Ryuzaki, please understand…" Light takes a deep breath. This is going to be a major blow to his pride, but he'd rather that than give the detective further evidence against him. "You were right about my phobia. It's not guilt, but I still can't help but think that there is something after me. And with the power cuts, well, that just exacerbated the whole situation. I had to get out. Please, I just want to go home and go to bed. I promise you we can continue any discussions tomorrow."

There is a pause as L considers this. _"Very well. I shall allow it this time. But if you have not regained control of your fears by tomorrow, I will have to ask you to leave the task force."_

Light sighs with relief. "Thank you, Ryuzaki. I appreciate it."

He freezes when the voice on the other end of the line begins laughing, a choking, unhinged laugh that does not sound like the detective at all.

"L?"

"_**Did you really expect him to believe that?"**_ L's voice is twisted, a harshness to his words that send shivers of fear down Light's spine.

"What have you done to L?" Light demands with a confidence he does not feel.

"_**He's still here, Kira. Just not in charge right now."**_

"I keep telling you, I'm not Kira!"

"_**I am never wrong."**_

Light grits his teeth, desperately clinging to his failing strength. "I'm not afraid of you! You have no power over me, you hear? I don't think you can even hurt me. You don't have the strength, do you? That's it, isn't it? You can't actually do anything. So you use these cheap parlour tricks to try and scare me, because you're really just some ineffectual little spirit with a grudge."

The voice chuckles. _**"Oh, little Kira, I thought you'd learned this lesson in the lift…Do you wish for another demonstration?"**_

Light shudders unconsciously as he remembers those claws reaching for him, tearing through the metal like tissue paper…No, he does not want another demonstration.

"_**You are not the only one with the power to kill, my little Kira. I could kill this man if I so wished. But that would play into your hands, wouldn't it? No, someone else. Perhaps your sister? Do you think she would scream, Kira? Beg for you to save her as I sliced her flesh to ribbons?"**_

"You leave Sayu alone! She's an innocent!"

"_**But you are not, Kira. And I will come for you."**_

The phone goes dead in his hand.

* * *

I'm sorry to say that there will be about a week or so before I can put the next chapter up. I'll try to get it done ASAP for you.


	6. Breaking Point

Next chapter, finally. I'm going to have to make a few apologies here.

Sorry this is late. I have got my exams right now, and revising has taken a significant chunk of my time. I've nearly finished, though, so I should be faster for the rest! And I may have said that this is going to be seven chapters, but it actually looks like it's going to be eight, possibly even nine.

Final apology, with a warning tied to it: This chapter is **dark**. Like, bad things happen. Please, be warned; I don't want to upset you guys or anything. I fully understand if you don't like what happens this chapter, but _please_, wait until the end of the story before making a judgement on me.

* * *

Light throws the phone as far away from himself as he can. It bounces twice before skidding out into the middle of the road, crushed under the wheels of a van as it speeds past. He goes limp, falling back onto the concrete, not caring that his shirt is now completely soaked through. Thunder cracks, sending his already pounding heart into overdrive.

_If __**she**__ doesn't kill me,_ Light thinks,_ I'll have a heart attack from all this. Wouldn't that be ironic?_

There is still one individual who can explain all this, who can give Light the rational explanation his dwindling sanity so desperately needs.

That is, if he'll tell Light anything.

"Ryuk!" Light calls, not even knowing if the shinigami can hear him. "Ryuk! Please, come back!"

Bulging yellow eyes swing into view faster than Light had expected. "Hullo, Light. You stopped bein' grouchy at me yet?"

Ignoring the question, Light sits up to look imploringly at the shinigami, smiling nervously. "Ryuk! Ryuk, you know what's happening, don't you? You'll tell me, won't you? It's all just a trick, isn't it?" Anxiety tugs at his words, this once-proud master of deceit reduced to pitiful begging.

Ryuk bends down to stare right into Light's eyes. "Whoa, look at you! Quivering in your boots. I thought the Great Kira wasn't scared of anything?" He laughs, the harsh barking sound sending daggers into the last remaining shreds of Light's pride.

"Just answer the question," Light mutters, not even having the energy for anger.

"I dunno, Light. I quite like watchin' you squirm. What's in it for me if I say?"

"All the apples you could ever want. I'll get you any kind, any number, just please, please tell me this is all a trick."

Ryuk's leering grin widens. "That's a lotta apples. But you don't want me to lie to you, do ya? So I can't say it's a trick."

Light's stomach drops. "It's true, then. This is the real price for using the Note."

Ryuk appears to consider this. "I s'pose. It's definitely the price for how you use it."

Light sinks back down in despair, but then looks up suddenly, a spark of his old determination shining in his eyes. "But I've been using the Death Note for Justice! I am cleansing the world of the polluted filth that inhabits it! The name of Kira should be sung from the rooftops, not written in blood on my ceiling!"

Ryuk doubles over in hysterics, clapping Light on the shoulder. "Oh man, you're funny, Light!"

Light narrows his eyes. "I fail to see what is funny."

"Oh, you will," Ryuk promises, recovering slightly from his merriment. "Just wait till you get home!"

Paling, Light's determination leaves him once more. He doesn't want to know what is waiting for him at home. But it is raining even harder now, and with Misa off somewhere and the Investigation HQ _compromised_, Light really has no other option. And anyway, he reassures himself, whatever is waiting for him can't really be that bad. **She** is just trying to scare him, **she** can't hurt him, **she** hasn't done anything yet…

The image of Sayu, viciously mutilated and begging wordlessly for her brother to save her, flashes unbidden into Light's mind, making him shudder. He _has_ to call her, has to ensure she's ok, because even he cares about his family.

Light is rifling through his pockets when he remembers that his phone is currently in six pieces in the middle of the road. He has no choice but to go home and use the phone there. Cursing himself for his carelessness, Light quickly gets up and tries to calculate the fastest route, a chuckling shinigami shadowing him all the way.

-x-

As Light steps through the front door, the darkness inside makes him falter. His parents should have been back by now. He flicks the light switch, relieved when the creeping blackness disappears instantly. He makes a beeline for the phone, dialling Sayu's number wrong three times before finally getting it right. Light tells himself that he is shaking so badly because he is cold, but even he finds that hard to believe.

Sayu's voice rings merrily in his ear, and Light's heart lifts before he realises it is her answering machine. He angrily hangs up, flipping through the phonebook to find the number of the friend she was staying with. The friend herself picks up.

"Hello, this is Light Yagami. Is Sayu there, please?" There is a pause on the other end of the line, and Light hears in the hitch of breath what the girl is going to say.

"I thought she was at home?"

Light slowly sinks to the floor. Not Sayu. Anyone but Sayu. "No, she isn't here. Did she call to let you know she wasn't coming?"

"No, but she usually…" The girl's voice is faster, more panicked. "I don't know! It was really weird! She called to say she was on her way, and then I just got this text and she said that she wasn't coming anymore only it wasn't like her usual texts and I tried to call her but – oh god, do you think she was kidnapped?"

"I'm sure she's fine," Light says, but his voice belies the confident words. "Don't worry about it. She probably just changed her mind."

"O-ok. Can you get her to call me when she gets back?"

Light doesn't think Sayu will ever be coming back, but he speaks his assurances and puts the phone down, trying to ignore the tremors of fear as he hunches up, hugging his knees to his chest. Ryuk is no longer laughing, instead staring down at Light with something that could almost be called concern.

"I thought this was all funny to you?" Light spits.

Ryuk grins once more. "Oh yeah, it's still funny to watch you get all twitchy and scared. I just thought it would last longer."

"And by that you mean what?"

"Well, I thought it would take you longer to break."

Fury courses through Light's veins, giving him strength. "I have _not_ broken!" he shouts, although it is more to himself than the shinigami. "I will not break, not ever, no matter what **she** does." He kicks the wall suddenly, making Ryuk chortle slightly. "Dammit, this is why I keep separate, why people are to be used and nothing more…Why the hell did it have to be Sayu, Ryuk? My friends, the Investigation Team, even – no, _especially_ Misa, but not Sayu. God, what will I tell…"

Trailing off, Light turns ashen and grabs for the phone. He dials one number, then a second, before smashing the receiver against the wall, panting heavily. Ryuk is now hopping from one foot to the other with glee.

"Got your parents, too, huh?"

Light nods once, his eyes screwed shut. When he opens them again, that steely resolve has returned. "They were obstacles to my plan. This is a good thing. Now I can continue as Kira with no interruptions."

Ryuk looks almost disappointed. "You aren't sad?"

Light can't even bring himself to answer. Instead, he peels off his sodden shirt and begins a weary ascent up the stairs.

The first thing he notices is that the lights don't work.

Panic spreads through him like sickness, breaking him out into a cold sweat. He wants to retreat back to the warm glow of the light, but he cannot move back, cannot do anything but keep walking towards his doom.

Lightning flashes, illuminating the corridor. Light's breath catches as he sees that both his parents' and Sayu's doors are open. A lamp has fallen and lies smashed on the floor, but he does not even register as his bare feet walk over the shards. He gives the door to Sayu's room a tentative push, his fingers brushing the four deep grooves carved into the wood.

Another flash, and Light screams.

A snapshot of horror, the gruesome scene laid before him.

Sayu's room, once a place of innocence, is now a thing of nightmares. Deep scratches cover the walls, dark blood oozing from the lines. Her bedsheets have been torn to shreds, heavily stained with crimson. And nailed to the wall, in pride of place,

is a heart.

Light runs out, tripping over himself and crashing painfully onto the ground. He is blind with terror, whimpering and scrabbling desperately at the floor to try and drag himself away.

There had been a message, carved almost lovingly into the wall underneath that…thing.

**YOU'RE NEXT, KIRA.**

Light tears at his hair, his skin, trying to rid himself of the blood on him, there is so much blood, all over him, he can _feel_ it, but there hadn't been any in the room, why won't it _come off_?

It is Ryuk who snaps him out of it, muttering something like, "break so easily, just no fun any more."

Light manages to pick himself up, his whole body shaking but supporting him. He cannot do this, not any more. He staggers towards his own room, not even looking towards the black hole of his parents' open doorway for fear that he truly would lose his mind if he saw the horrors he knew lay inside there.

_No more, not now, not after this… I've got to get away, got to go somewhere even __**she**__ can't find me, just get the Note and go…_

Even Light himself is surprised at his resolve to keep the Note.

Lightning flashes a third time as Light opens his door. He goes cold as he sees what is waiting for him.

_I'm going to die._

The creature roars triumphantly, and grabs his neck.

* * *

Next chapter sooner than a week, I should think. Tuesday at the latest.


	7. Truth Revealed

I'm so sorry! I really suck at updating quickly lately. The main problem has been exams, which finished on Thursday, and then it was all the Leaver's things... Basically I haven't stopped since the 6th, and thus have been hard-pressed to find writing time. I actually had this done a lot sooner, but it was too rushed and the end of the chapter felt weak, so I rewrote it. Here's hoping I'll be faster now.

This chapter has an interesting end, and I would like to hear your thoughts on it. Also, remember that there are at least 2 more chapters planned; this is not where it stops. Oh no. There is still more to this story.

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Light for this. Half-glimpses of something hidden in the shadows on a computer screen or a photograph may have frightened him, but the _thing_ smiling wickedly at him now makes his heart shudder with blinding terror. His legs completely give way, the hand curled tightly around his neck the only thing keeping him from collapsing.

_**Her**_**.**

Endless black eyes gleam at him from a marble-smooth face, dark veins spiderwebbing across the pallid flesh. The hand – no, _claw_ – that is in view is vicious, metal talons jutting sharply from white bone, sharp enough to slice the air, and even in the darkness Light can see red dripping from the clawtips. And those teeth, oh God, those teeth, they could cut through bone like butter, and they shine maliciously as **she** smiles at him.

**She** drops him and he crumples, unable to do anything but watch as **she** decides exactly which way to carve him into pieces. **She** leans down, running one claw across his cheek. He feels no pain, but warm blood drips down his face, mingling with terrified tears.

"**What are you?" She** asks, and for a second, Light doesn't even understand the words. Then realisation dawns, and he knows what **she** wants him to say.

"I am Kira," Light whispers, his voice trembling.

**Her** smile widens. **"Good. I was beginning to worry I had the wrong person."**

Light has no idea where it comes from, but he is suddenly angry at the creature's words. "What?! And I suppose you would have – you would have still killed my family if you were wrong?!"

Roughly forcing him to the floor, **she** rakes a hand across his chest, leaving four gashes that quickly pool with blood. **"No. Do not **_**dare**_** to bring me to your level, Kira**_**.**_**" She** licks at Light's wounds with an ice-cold tongue, making him shudder. **"How many innocents have you killed in the name of your pathetic Justice? How many families have you destroyed with your **_**mission**_**?" She** nuzzles into his neck, razor-sharp teeth grazing the skin. **"Perhaps I should cut you for each and every person you have brought misery to. But then, there wouldn't be much left for me to play with, would there?"**

Light cannot stop a choking sob from passing his lips.

_please no don't hurt me I'll do anything just don't hurt me please_

**She** kneels above him, drinking in his fear. One wicked talon slices at the skin beneath his eye. **"What does the eye of a God see?"**

Panic threatens to swamp Light's mind and blackness eats at his vision. He cannot pass out, not now, for then he will truly be dead. He suddenly remembers something that **she** said to him, something that could save him, and he clings to this, his last remaining safety line to his rapidly dwindling sanity. "Stop! I'll stop!"

**She** pauses. **"What?"**

"I'll stop. All of it. I'll stop being Kira, I'll give it all up, just _please_, don't hurt me!"

**Her** smile falters. **"You'll stop?"**

Light nods emphatically. "All of it. I'll stop killing, I'll stop making judgements. I'll even give myself in." He can see the creature's disappointment, and hope rises inside of him that he has found a way out.

**She **chuckles darkly. **"Oh, Kira, and I was so close…Very well. Stop. Confess. Do whatever your pitiful human mind thinks will bring you redemption. But remember, Kira…" She **grabs his throat once more, her icy breath chilling him to the core as she whispers, **"I'll be watching."**

Cackling wildly, she snaps her teeth and tosses Light aside, knocking his head against the wall and dazing him. By the time he shakes himself out of it, **she** has disappeared.

The lights come back on.

-x-

Light is composed. He has put on a new shirt to hide the wounds across his chest and cleaned up the gashes on his face as best he can. Ryuk has reappeared, and watches silently as he takes the Death Note from its hiding place with shaking hands.

"Are ya sure you wanna do this, Light?" the shinigami asks.

Tight-lipped, Light nods once. "It is the only way. If I don't speak of Misa's involvement, then she at least can continue…" He trails off, not even having the conviction to finish the sentence. Instead, he busies himself with correcting the missed buttons on his shirt. He tries to sort them out a few times, but his trembling fingers hinder him and he gives up, leaving them as they are. Ryuk eyes him, and it seems for a second as if the shinigami is about to say something, convince Light not to do this, but he remains mute, simply grinning as he tosses an apple into his mouth.

Not wishing to run through the rain once more, Light calls a taxi. The driver is shocked at his appearance, but says nothing. Light clutches the Note tightly to himself, as if seeking comfort from the thing that had once been his greatest weapon for humanity.

He spends the entire journey fearfully looking around the cab, terrified that the metal frame would suddenly crumple under the impact of gleaming claws.

-x-

The Investigation HQ is locked for the night, but the upper lights are still on and Light knows L will not be sleeping. He buzzes the intercom, twitching fingers the only outward sign of the unrelenting fear coursing through him, fear of what he was about to do, and an even greater fear of what would happen if he did not do it. He nervously picks at the hem of his shirt, which is now soaked in blood from his undressed wounds.

After an agonising half-minute, Watari's voice rings from the speakers.

"_Light? Is that you?"_

"Y-yes, it is. Can you let me in, please?"

This newfound humility and nervousness does not pass by unnoticed. _"Are you alright? What's happened?"_

"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine. I need to talk to L. It's very important."

There is a pause, then the door unlocks. As Light pushes it open, he struggles for a moment, the weight of the action he is about to take holding him back. But then it is gone, and he enters the building. There is no other option. This must be done.

-x-

If Light was not in a dazed state of shock, L's expression on first seeing him would have been quite amusing. The detective had glanced up from his laptop and actually done a double-take as the teenager entered. L stood and walked cautiously up to Light, as if worried any quick movements would startle him. L stops just short of him, thumbnail in mouth, peering intently at the blood-soaked shirt.

"You are hurt," he states. "Were you attacked?"

Light isn't sure what he is doing. Something…he was meant to say something. Claws glinting in the thunderlight. His head feels broken.

"Uh, no, it's fine," Light mutters. "Listen, I have-"

L is now examining the cuts on Light's face, pulling at the skin to further scrutinize them. "The angle does not suggest self-infliction, and I doubt this was accidental. Therefore, I conclude you must indeed have been attacked. Who assaulted you?"

Light slaps L's hand away. "I came here for a _reason_," he says, his voice breaking on the final word. L's face darkens, but he falls silent. "I came here to say – to say that…" Light's throat tightens, his body rebelling against the words, but then he remembers the feel of those merciless claws against his flesh, and he can speak.

"I am Kira."

At first, L is wary, perhaps believing this to somehow be another mind game of theirs. He even asks Light if the assault has affected his judgement and brought on such a confession.

"No," Light responds, a little too hastily. "It's too much. I have to tell you. **She** told me to." He wraps his arms around himself. "It's cold in here. Are you cold? I feel cold." There are spiders under his skin. He can feel them, crawling all around, biting at him.

L eyes him warily. "The temperature is normal. Are you suffering from blood-loss?"

"Blood?" Light looks down, looks at his hands, and they are red, stained with blood, so much blood, so many people, he remembers them all, every name, every face, all _watching_.

"Light. Light!"

He looks up, startled. "I'm not Light. I'm Kira." Pulling out the Death Note from where he'd tucked it in his trousers, he shows it to L. "This is how I kill. I write the names on these pages – oh, it's got blood on it… Please lock me up. I should be punished and put in a cell where nobody and nothing can ever see me."

"Light, this is highly irrational behaviour, and I suggest you regain control of yourself before-"

"JUST TAKE IT!" Light is pleading, knowing that true horror awaits him if L does not believe his confession.

If L is shocked to see Ryuk materialise out of nowhere when he touches the Note, he does not show it. "You are the shinigami, I presume?"

"Yep. But don't mind me, I'm just here for the show."

Light worries at his fingernails, eyes darting around the room. "You believe me, right? You know I'm Kira?" Whispers, saying his name, all around, where are they from?

Flipping through the Note, L nods curtly. "The names do appear to correlate. Very well. Light Yagami, you are under arrest on suspicion of being the murderer known as Kira. As you have willingly confessed, I doubt you will resist, but should you attempt anything, this room is under constant surveillance and our conversation is being recorded. I will need to make a phone call to instruct one of my representatives to collect you."

Light nearly collapses with relief. They would take him away, and he would be punished, yes, he would pay for his crimes, but **she** would be satisfied, **she** would not hurt him. Finally, he is _free_.

As L keys in the number that will seal his fate, Light begins to panic. What if – what if it _isn't enough_? What if **she** only let him do this to lull him into a false sense of security, to let him try to make peace, only to strike when there was nowhere else to run? What if **she** would be waiting for him when they took him away? Those voices, he can still hear them, mocking him, are they **her**?

His breathing erratic, Light stumbles backwards, wildly searching for the source of that sound. Both L and Ryuk are staring at him, but he does not care, all he cares about is those voices, and that noise, that noise like –

**scritch scritch, scritch scritch**

**You're mine.**

Fear grips his heart like iron claws, and everything goes black.

-x-

As Light's unconscious form collapses to the floor, L considers catching him. There is an 85.67% chance that he would be able to stop the young man's descent. A sudden impact could re-open the wounds on his chest, which may require medical attention.

L lets Light fall.

He ends the call he had been making to an automated weather report and dials another number, not entirely surprised that he can hear the ringtone from the corridor behind him. Flipping his phone shut, he turns to see someone approach him, her smile wide.

"It worked, then?" the woman asks, her metal teeth flashing as she speaks.

* * *

Hehehehe.

All shall be revealed, and things may not be as simple as they appear...


	8. First Encounters

Hey, I'm back! Next chapter here.

This chapter has a slightly different style to it, and the reason is as follows: Originally, I had planned for this story to be separated into two, with Chapter 7 being the end of TBOYH and this chapter being the start of the sequel, but then I decided to leave them as one story, hence why the length will be increasing. From now on, the story will jump from the present to the past tense as we find out more about the woman and L's plans.

There is still more to this story than meets the eye. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

One final thing: The fantastic **Hethetheth** has done some fanart! It is a picture of **her** and scared the bejeezus out of me. http://i27 dot tinypic dot com/29cmc7l dot jpg Just replace "dot" with actual dots.

* * *

If you were to ask the handful of people who had met L in person to describe the detective, you would get a wide range of vague adjectives and similes, but the most common word would likely be "emotionless". Indeed, it often seems as if L is incapable of feeling any emotion at all. But this is not true. Over the years of his time as a detective, L has learned that any emotional display can be seen as a weakness, that allowing himself empathy would only hamper his work, so he has to ignore any feelings he has. However, this does not make him emotionless. He still feels as strongly as he ever did; he simply hides it and pays little attention to these insignificant emotions that interfere with his cases.

Well, usually.

It is impossible to tell, but L is furious. His face is passive, his voice blank, but the anger boils in his blood as he stares the woman down.

"You deviated from the plan," he states.

"I did indeed," she replies, grinning. There is not the slightest hint of remorse in her words. "But I had _fun_."

L's eye twitches slightly. He is surprised at how much this is affecting him. "The intention was not for you to have _fun_, but for Kira to confess. I highly doubt that inflicting such injuries on him was entirely necessary."

The woman walks towards him, chuckling darkly. Despite knowing that she would not be able to harm him, L is decidedly unnerved by the predatory look in her eyes. Coupled with those metal teeth – which, for some reason, she had refused to take out once they had been returned to her – L can easily see why a lesser-minded person would be terrified if this woman jumped out at them in the dead of night.

"But, detective," she whispers, one finger running lightly across her steel fangs, "he did confess. He killed hundreds of people – I see no reason why he should not suffer for it."

Taking a deep breath, L looks pointedly at the body at his feet. Still unconscious, Light appears less like a megalomaniac mass murderer and more like an innocent boy – or, L amends, taking into account the bloodstained shirt, an innocent torture victim. L himself is not fooled by this appearance, for he knows the real evil behind the façade, but he is not naïve enough to think that a jury would be so rational.

"This does quite defeat my objective of having him confess with no apparent influence."

The woman cackles, the sound reverberating down L's spine. She slaps him on the shoulder, making him flinch away. He does not like her touching him.

"What difference does it make? You got what you wanted, didn't you?"

L flips through the Death Note once more. The shinigami has gone, perhaps no longer interested now its master has been defeated.

"Yes. I have captured Kira."

-x-

The woman is Setsuko Fumiko. The first time L met her, she was in a mental asylum.

Technically, he had dealt with her before then; he was, in fact, the reason she was in said asylum.

Whilst he was working on the Kira case, one of L's less significant aliases had been hired by a rich businessman who owned a large company in Tokyo. The man claimed that someone had been repeatedly breaking into his house, despite all the security he had put up, and that they were leaving unsettling items whenever they came. Further interrogation found that the perpetrator was, for all intents and purposes, a malevolent spirit trying to terrify the businessman.

Intrigued, L had taken up the case, working on it from his laptop and sending an agent under his alias whenever necessary. He was certain that there must have been an actual person behind this, but the setup was so fascinating – eerie writing on the walls, the appearance of a creature that could seemingly disappear at will – that he almost found himself wishing it really was a ghost. It would definitely have made the investigation a lot more challenging.

L finally found Fumiko when the businessman mentioned the teeth of the spirit. The man had not allowed L to put any surveillance equipment in his home, something that the detective had found somewhat hampering to his case, leaving him with only photos and descriptions to catch the woman. As soon as the man had spoken of her having "horrible teeth, metal and needle-sharp, like a shark", L had hunted down a cosmetic dentist who had made something fitting that description. This led him to Fumiko.

However, the day that L intended to tell the businessman of his findings, the man had turned himself into the police, begging them to lock him away for as long as possible.

It transpired that the businessman wasn't exactly a saint. Not only had he been embezzling money and selling products that did not pass even the most basic of quality checks, he had drugged and raped at least four of his secretaries and personal assistants. During the police interview, he ranted wildly about how "vengeance had come to him" for his actions, and even once yelled, to nobody in particular: "Are you happy now? I did what you asked, now please, leave me be! I can't take it anymore, the fear, it swallows my soul!"

L was stunned. A quick search discovered that one of the abused secretaries had been Setsuko Fumiko's sister. Clearly, Setsuko had not taken kindly to her sister's mistreatment, and had concocted a plan to terrify the businessman into confessing. Her methods were so ingenious that L very nearly considered letting her get away with it.

But there was a chance that she would decide to do this again, perhaps to someone less deserving. He placed Fumiko under silent observation for a week, monitoring her every move and conversation. At first, she had seemed deceptively normal, but after the first couple of days she began to behave more erratically. L determined that she had some kind of psychological condition, possibly Dissociative Identity Disorder, and concluded that the safest option would be to have her committed. He had left a message with the relevant authorities and thought no further on the subject.

Then L had discovered Light's fear of ghosts.

L _knew_ Light was Kira, had known since the first moment he saw him. It was just so hard to find any proof, and he doubted Soichiro would appreciate his son being put under observation yet again, so L had opted for slightly less conventional methods.

A quick search of his databases and a couple of enquiries determined which hospital Fumiko was in and how her treatment was progressing. L learned that Fumiko's more … eccentric side had become far more dominant over her shy, reclusive personality, but that she was calm and aware for the majority of the time. She had never acted violently, and the only thing of note was that she occasionally would try to scare her doctors. L deduced that there was a 96.4% chance she would be a great aide were she to agree to help capture Light. He had no qualms about using her as an agent – after all, he had previously worked with thieves and criminals, not to mention using a man sentenced to death as a stand-in.

The main issue would be whether Fumiko would want to fight against Kira. Her methods of terrorising the businessman through fear were akin to Kira's control of the public, and L wanted to ensure he was not handing Kira another pawn in Fumiko. He decided that the best method to determine Fumiko's loyalties would be to meet her in person.

-x-

L padded down the white corridor in sterilised shoes provided by the hospital. The man by his side, Dr Asato, had agreed to take L to Fumiko's room out-of-hours so that the detective would not arouse suspicion.

As L approached the door to Fumiko's room, he had a number of ideas of what he might find. The institute records had noted that Fumiko was on an unusually high amount of medication considering her lack of violent behaviour, and L predicted that she may not be lucid after her evening dosage. He was therefore unsurprised when the doctor unlocked the door to reveal Fumiko sprawled across the floor, clearly unconscious.

Dr Asato did not seem so calm. He quickly bent down over Fumiko's prone form, checking pulse rates and response to stimuli. After a few seconds, Fumiko's eyes flickered open and she looked blearily at the doctor, placing one hand on his knee. She gave a weak smile, reminding L unsettlingly of a tiger waking to find its prey helpless before it.

The doctor seemed to have also noticed, as his voice was tight and his breathing shallow as he spoke. "Setsuko, you gave me a bit of a scare there," he muttered. Turning to L, he explained, "We've had a number of suicides in this room over the years. I know it's superstitious nonsense, but I couldn't help fearing…"

L nodded silently, watching the doctor, who realised after a second why the detective was there. Stammering an apology, Dr Asato quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. L had been assured that all security footage of this meeting would be destroyed, but the room would have to be monitored in case Fumiko became violent.

L crouched before Fumiko in his usual position, thumbnail in mouth as he observed her. She was shakily pushing herself up from the floor, her smile gone with the doctor. She was pale, paler even than L, and her skin had a paper-thin quality to it, translucent and fragile. Her eyes were dull, lifeless, and her face was gaunt and starved.

She looked like she was dying.

"May I ask if you are ill, Miss Fumiko?"

She shook her head. "Not Fumiko. Fumiko is fine. Ojike is hungry."

_Ah yes. The files mentioned that Fumiko's alternate personality preferred to be called "Ojike". Japanese for "fear". An interesting choice. _

"Is the institution not feeding you correctly?"

The woman seemed to find this hilarious, a husky laugh rattling her frame. "No, they feed Fumiko fine. All the mush she could want. But there's too much medicine, it's too soft, they take away all the edges in here. Nobody screams at night. I feel like I've been wrapped in plastic and pills."

L chewed a nail thoughtfully. "I must say, you appear to have suffered from the effects of the medication. Perhaps some time out of this institution would better suit Ojike? Allow her to recover?"

Fumiko's head snapped up. "You serious about that? You'll let me out?"

L drew back slightly. This was the dangerous part. He did not want to let an unstable mental patient loose in the streets of Tokyo. "I am considering something of the sort. Of course, you would be under supervision, and you would have to continue taking your medication, albeit in a lower dosage, and you would have to assist me with something, a case."

Fumiko narrowed her eyes. "A case? How could I be any help?"

L paused. "I assume you have heard of Kira?"

Fumiko's grin widened. "He causes a lot of fear."

"Are you supportive of his actions?"

She seemed to consider this. "I think that he is wrong."

"But you yourself took justice into your own hands when you terrorised that businessman."

"Yes, but I let him go through the justice system. I could have killed him many times over as he slept in those silk sheets. No, I prefer criminals to be alive and terrified than dead." The talk seemed to have rejuvenated her slightly, some colour returning to her cheeks.

"So you are not a Kira supporter?"

"Not really, no."

L took a deep breath, noticing with some surprise that his heart rate had increased. He must have been more concerned about her response than he had thought. "Would you be interested in assisting me in the capture of Kira?"

"What would I have to do?"

"In essence? Scare him."

Fumiko chuckled. "Oh yes, I'll help you."

-x-

Within days, Fumiko had been granted leave from the institution.

At first, L had just given Fumiko a detailed profile of Light and access to whatever funding she required, intending to leave her to her own plans and play no active part himself, other than monitoring her actions to ensure she did not run away or let slip what she was doing. However, he did have to step in directly when he noticed she had purchased a worrying array of surgical equipment and a canister of chloroform.

In hindsight, L should have realised at that point that this was not the most sensible of plans.

* * *


	9. Setting the Stage

Hello again.

To those of you who might be confused that this chapter has been uploaded before, this is the revised version. More happens in this one.

Some of this chapter relies on your knowledge of past events in TBOYH, so you might want to read back if you're a bit rusty. After all, it has been *cough* six months *cough* since Chapter 8.

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

For the most part, L remained distant from Fumiko's schemes, even after the incident with the surgical knives. He had her put up in one of the unused floors of the Investigation HQ, supplying her with food and medication whenever necessary. However, as her ideas became more elaborate, L found himself becoming drawn further and further into the woman's mad world.

Her ideas were fairly innocuous at first; a mysterious noise, a china doll. L's own obsessive nature blinded him to Fumiko's to such a point that he only realised quite how far the plan had escalated when he was suggesting she use Fluothane as her sleeping gas of choice.

"Perhaps we should consider a slightly less …risky method," L suggested.

Fumiko raised an eyebrow. "We can hardly get a cast of his face when he's awake. He'd notice that sort of thing. And it'll mean I can put the message on his ceiling."

L pinched the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed, trying to ignore the pounding headache that had begun to form at the base of his skull. "My objective is to draw a confession from Kira in the most inconspicuous way possible. Were he to catch on to our plan, the entire operation would be ruined. I would prefer to reduce the risk of discovery."

Fumiko's hands twitched – a tell that L had come to learn meant Ojike had taken control. So far, the tailored cocktail of medicines L had her on was keeping her in check, but he could tell that she was itching to break free of her chains. She had even begun trying to scare L himself.

Regarding the detective with a cool gaze, Ojike scowled. "We cannot stop now," she said. Her words were harsh, guttural, each syllable chewed and spat out by her glinting metallic teeth. "I'm so close, so close…"

L did not look at her, instead focussing on the blueprints he had obtained. "I did not say we should stop; by my calculations, this operation still has a very high success rate. However, I do believe that we may need to take a step back."

Eyes flashing menacingly, Ojike let out a low growl that set L's teeth on edge. Outwardly unfazed, L reminded the woman, "We made a deal. Whilst I have given you free reign up to a point, I am still in charge of this case and can easily put you back in the asylum at any time."

Twitch. Fumiko now.

"But you need us, you need **_her_**. Why else would you have let us out? Anyone could have done this; an actor, a skilled gymnast, even one of your police lackeys. You chose us for this because of what we are."

"Insane?" L suggested drolly.

"We're not insane, we're…different."

"Call it what you will, the fact remains that we must rethink exactly how we are to go about this operation."

It took three hours, copious amounts of cheesecake, and a handful of painkillers before L managed to talk Ojike into toning down her schemes. She would follow L's instructions to the letter and not deviate in any way.

It wasn't until she had left to enact her wickedness before L realised he had told her to do the _exact same dangerous plan she had originally been trying to sneak past him._

He wasn't entirely sure how that had happened.

-x-

L's headache had steadily increased from a dull pounding to a full marching band parading around inside his skull. He did not like how many ways there were for this plan to go horribly wrong. Calculated risks were one thing, but the entire case could be lost forever if Fumiko made even the slightest mistake. If his head would just clear enough for him to think at full capacity, he could easily solve this.

He crunched another Vicodin-laced jam sandwich, grimacing at the bitter taste and hoping that the eighth dose would be the charm.

-x-

It was working.

L almost couldn't believe it. This had been a ridiculous scheme, a madcap idea to stir up the waters a little and make Kira slip. Certainly, L had planned for the final outcome to be a confession, but at the rate Light's nerves were fraying, the detective would have to start getting the handcuffs ready rather soon.

When Light had seen the photo of Ojike, he looked as if he had gazed upon the countenance of Death itself. The young man had been so rattled that he had screamed in horror at something as simple as the lights turning back on.

L slowly sipped his tea as he examined the photograph. He mentally praised Fumiko – the woman was phenomenal at what she did. L knew it was staged, knew that it was just a psychologically damaged girl in a costume, but still, there was something about her, something in those gleaming eyes and claws that made a deep and primal part of L's psyche tell him to _run hide flee escape or she'll come she'll get you_

Shaking himself out of his musings, L rubbed his throbbing temples and flipped a file open. To the untrained eye, it would appear that the Kira killings had continued without respite. Criminals were still dying at a steady rate, old and newly convicted alike. However, the rate had slowed. Only slightly, barely enough to even be noticeable, but it was there. Satisfied, L pushed the papers out of the way to scrutinise schematics for the complex pneumatic device Fumiko had invented.

As if this action had summoned her, the woman chose that moment to enter. L glanced to see that Fumiko was currently in the driver's seat.

"Ah, you're here. I wanted to talk to you. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to confine you to the headquarters from now on – there are far too many risks if you continue to operate in the field."

Fumiko said nothing, only swaying slightly.

"Oh, of course. You'll have just been given your medication. Was the dosage too high? Do you understand me?"

Fumiko frowned, unsure which question to answer. "I understand," she said shakily. "**She**'s gone to sleep, though. I can't remember the last time **she** was asleep."

"Is that not a positive thing? You are a very intelligent woman, Fumiko – you would be a great asset if we could properly manage your condition."

"My condition…" Fumiko muttered, her expression distant. Without warning, she darted forward and grabbed L's arm, yanking him off of the sofa. L tensed, his whole body prepared to defend himself if necessary, but aware that remaining calm was a safer option.

"Don't you understand?" the woman hissed. "It's not a _condition_! **She**'s _real_! **She**'s real and **she**'s all I am! If you take that away, if you _manage_ it, then I'll just be nothing again. Empty, useless."

L slowly pried her hand from his wrist. "You created Ojike out of a feeling of helplessness, believing that you could not avenge your sister alone. It makes sense that you'd be con—"

"Oh, shut up," Fumiko scoffed. "You think you have it all figured out. Maybe there are things in this world that even someone of your genius can't comprehend." She glanced at her hands, which had started to spasm. "**She**'s waking up."

Fumiko looked up again, eyes wide. "Don't fear **her**."

Twitch.

"Hello, Ojike."

Ojike ignored him, examining her hands. Apparently satisfied, she regarded L with an amused smirk. "Hello, dear detective. I hear you want to have me confined?"

"It's for the best. You can still contribute to the planning of this operation, and I will allow you to work from within the building, but I would prefer you to stay inside at all times."

Ojike tapped her teeth with an unsettling metallic sound, circling the detective predatorily. L turned with her, not wanting to have his back to her at any time.

"But, detective, how do you know you're making the right decision?"

"I always make the right decision."

"Oh, you poor, sweet thing," Ojike breathed. She leaned in close, brushing L's cheek in a way that was probably intended to be comforting but instead made his hair stand on end. "It's a shame, really. You had such a beautiful mind."

L's head was pounding and his sight was blurred from sleep deprivation, but for one second, just one lurching, heart-stopping second, those were not hands but claws, huge, deadly bone-and-steel claws that dripped with blood, _his_ blood, and they were dug deep into his skull, tearing at his mind and hollowing him out from the inside.

Then he blinked, and the vision cleared.

With no outward sign of his shock, L sent Ojike to her room and had Watari ensure she could not leave. He needed sleep. He had had hallucinations before, but never to this intensity. It was most likely due to the extreme stress of the case, and being in close proximity to a woman who thought she was a vengeance spirit couldn't help much either.

As L went to pick up the photograph of Ojike, he noticed with some annoyance that his hands were shaking.

-x-

Despite getting at least three hours sleep, L did not feel rested. If possible, his headache and fatigue were even worse for his nap. His loss of concentration made him irritable; he had to mentally restrain himself more than once during the investigation. Honestly, how could Light even dare to attempt to conceal his guilt when it was so obvious that he was lying?

_Patience. He will be punished in time._

L had to concede to the voice in his head. Light _was_ being punished, was getting exactly what he deserved, and very soon L would solve his puzzle. He would best Kira, beat him at his game of fear and control, _tear his heart out and eat it raw dripping still warm still fresh the heart of Death itself_

…Where did that come from?

-x-

Splashing cold water on his face, L hunched over the sink for a moment, not quite daring to look at the mirror. It was ridiculous, highly irrational, but he was almost _scared_ of what he'd see. These past few days, he'd felt as if his mind was not his own, as if all this talk of ghosts and demons had actually caused something to awaken inside him, something dark and twisted that he'd suppressed for as long as he could remember.

Nobody is perfect, and whilst he'd never admit it, L was no exception. Sure, on paper he was simply doing his job – catching Kira in any way he could – and there was definitely a feeling of satisfaction from getting closer and closer to victory, but this…

When L had seen Light in the lift, cowering, begging for his life, it wasn't just about winning the game. It was glee, pure, sadistic glee at seeing his nemesis so weak and feeble. He had _laughed_.

Sighing, L slowly raised his eyes. His face looked back at him. His hair, his eyes, all normal. No sign of insanity there.

The grin, however, was new.

Stretched across his face like a slash, quirked up knowingly at one corner, the smirk of his reflection taunted him, daring him to _rationalise this, then._ L reached up a hand to his own mouth to check that it really was contorted like that, that he wasn't just hallucinating again, seeing the ghost of someone who had worn his face before.

_No, that's definitely me._

A knock at the door. Startled, L quickly pulled at his cheeks, literally forcing the smile off of his face. It was Watari.

"Sorry to disturb you, L, but I thought you'd like to know that the laptop mechanism worked. The film was played to Light and the blood packs popped at the correct time. I believe that young Mr Yagami was quite taken in by the whole event."

L nodded. "Excellent. I shall call him in, then." As the older man went to leave, L stopped him. "Watari, do you… do you think that this plan is acceptable?"

"I assume that you are referring to the entire scheme as a whole, and not just this particular aspect of it?"

"Correct."

Watari hesitated. "It is not my place to judge your methods, L. I trust that you consider this to be the superior option, and I will aid you in any way possible."

"Do not insult my intelligence, Watari. Answer the question."

There was a long pause before the man finally spoke. "It is not the best way. But then, what Kira is doing is not the best way, either. If Kira must suffer to understand what he has wrought with his actions, then so be it." With that, he walked away.

L picked at his sleeves, thinking. It was probably the most honest answer he'd get. With one last glance at the mirror, he left the bathroom, taking his phone from his pocket and dialling Light's number.

-x-

L awoke to find himself face-down on the coffee table, his headache less 'derived from exhaustion' and more 'struck on the back of the head with a large object.' His mouth tasted of blood and he felt dizzy and befuddled. The emergency lights were on, casting an eerie red glow across the room.

He slowly lifted himself up, wincing at the slight movement, and tried to remember what had happened. Light had been there, definitely. L recalled how perfectly the man had responded to his theatrics. The lights had gone out, as planned, and Light had fled in terror. But then – what?

If the emergency power had come on, that must mean something had gone wrong with the generator. Perhaps it had failed after Light left. _No, not failed_, L reasoned, wincing as he cradled the back of his head. _It was sabotaged_. Ojike may have rigged something up so that she could escape. She had previously been in charge of the lights; it would be no mean feat for her to have created a contingency plan.

L limply grabbed his phone, pausing as a wave of nausea swept over him. It would not do the case any good if he threw up all over the floor. Although there was no discernable damage, he felt as if something had cracked his skull open. Once it had passed, he dialled Watari, who answered immediately.

"If this is about the power, I'm working on it."

"Was the generator sabotaged in any way?"

"It's hard to tell. As far as I can see, it was caused by an electrical fault. However, it's exceedingly unlikely that both generators would simultaneously have the same fault."

"Hm. Have you been watching the cameras at all?"

"As much as I would love to, I cannot be in two places at once, L. I have left them recording, and all data can easily be reviewed, but I have been trying to fix the power."

"The primary power is unnecessary if emergency power keeps the cameras running. Has Fumiko remained in her room?"

There was a pause before L heard Watari quickly dash into the observation room. "She should be there… the locks are controlled by an independent power source…Ah, yes. She's in there, L. Secure and confined."

"Are you certain? There isn't a loop feed, or some kind of false image?"

"I don't think—" Watari cuts off as the main power is finally restored. "Wait. Ah. I'm sorry, L, but …it would appear that Fumiko has escaped."

L didn't even hear him. The main lights had come back on, flooding the room with fluorescent white.

But L was still bathed in red.


End file.
